


Friday, I'm in Love

by kenmarot (bope)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Feelings Realization, Fluff, Jealous Kenma, Jealousy, Light Angst, Light Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Pining, T for swearing, Teenage Yearning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:06:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29405256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bope/pseuds/kenmarot
Summary: Kenma thinks it’s unfair. None of his games ever prepared him for the teenage yearning that comes with playing volleyball with and for your childhood best friend. But now he’s stuck with a constrictor knot in his stomach as he watches Kuroo laugh with this girl, whose hand is sliding down his arm.—In which the Nekoma volleyball team gets a female manager-in-training and Kenma deals with newfound feelings.
Relationships: Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 39
Kudos: 397





	Friday, I'm in Love

**Author's Note:**

> happy valentine’s day!
> 
> [this](https://twitter.com/p0lliwogs/status/1338665808835166208?s=19) drawing by [@p0lliwogs](https://twitter.com/p0lliwogs) on twitter inspired me to write this! it's so tender! was also inspired by the cure’s song of the same title, though phoebe bridgers’ cover was specifically the one that inspired the mood of the fic

Kenma thinks it’s unfair. None of his games ever prepared him for the teenage yearning that comes with playing volleyball with and for your childhood best friend. But now he’s stuck with a constrictor knot in his stomach as he watches Kuroo laugh with this girl, whose hand is sliding down his arm.

This girl happens to be Motoya Sana, a second year who isn’t in any of Kenma, Yamamoto, or Fukunaga’s classes. It’s a bit late in the school term to join a club, but she wants to be the team’s manager, much to Tora’s delight. Though his teammate has yet to talk to her, always clamming up whenever the manager-in-training even breathes in his direction. _So much for being excited_ , Kenma thinks.

Motoya is short with long, light brown hair. It’s a good thing she doesn’t play volleyball because it’d be a waste to cut it off. All the younger boys swoon about how cute she is when she giggles, which is kind of often. But she’s attentive and serious when practice starts. Plus, Motoya hasn’t tried being overly friendly with Kenma, so he’s thankful.

She started last Monday. It’s only been a week.

“Kenma,” Kuroo calls suddenly. He walks over to where Kenma is seated by the club room lockers, where he’s been waiting for Kuroo to finish. He has an apologetic look on his face, hand scratching at the back of his neck. Kenma already knows what he’s about to say.

“I still have some things to go over with Motoya. Schedules, game rules, and such. Maybe you should go ahead.”

“Sure,” Kenma says plainly before getting up, slinging his backpack lazily on his shoulders. “See you next week, Motoya.”

Their manager-in-training bows a little and smiles at him as he walks towards the door. “See you! Stay safe, Kenma-san.”

It’s only been a week of this. Kenma goes ahead and Kuroo stays behind to teach Motoya the ropes. Without a manager, it’s been Kuroo’s responsibility to do all sorts of logistical arrangements. “Captain’s burden,” he always whines. Now, it’s still his burden to pass it onto someone else. Someone willing, finally.

“Finish your dinner!”

Kenma doesn’t have to look back to know that Kuroo has his stern face on, the one he puts on whenever he’s doting on the younger boy. Kenma tells himself he hates that look. Hates Kuroo doting on him. So he doesn’t look back and continues to walk towards the school gates.

Kuroo isn’t a stranger to confessions. There are a handful of times when Kenma is made to awkwardly stand there while Kuroo speeds through it: listen, smile politely, and then reject. Also politely. He offers to leave whenever a girl hesitantly goes over to them, but Kuroo always promises to be quick. Kenma doesn’t care either way. Or at least he used to.

Kuroo doesn’t have actual girl friends, just acquaintances from class. Which makes Motoya the first girl Kenma sees chatting and laughing with, and _touching_ his best friend. Always sliding her hand down his arm, leaning against him, even squeezing his thigh once. What’s worse is that Kuroo never moves away. The images burn into Kenma’s eyes no matter how much he wants to forget them. Bitterly, he thinks he watches enough anime to know where this could be heading.

He isn’t supposed to care. He isn’t supposed to feel like a knife is being twisted inside his guts at the sight of that hand on that arm. He isn’t supposed to wonder if he would be allowed to touch him like that; if it wouldn’t be awkward or disgusting. But Kenma does.

He thinks it’s unfair.

“Kuroo-san, why don’t you have a girlfriend?” Lev asks on a Wednesday. They’re all just waiting for Inouka and Yaku to arrive before they jog around the area. Kenma detests jogging. Almost two years of high school volleyball training and his legs still itch and burn just 6 minutes in. But Lev’s question makes him want to start running. Run far far away. Kenma doesn’t know the answer; he and Kuroo don’t talk about girls or dating. He doesn’t want to know the answer. The knot tightens.

Their captain perks up at the question and stops talking in the middle of his conversation with Motoya. Everybody besides Kenma is looking directly at him now. Especially Motoya, with wide curious eyes.

_What’s taking Inouka and Yaku so long?_

“Huh? Well, I don’t really have the time? With volleyball and studying. Not that you lot would know,” Kuroo jeers playfully.

Yamamoto, ever the one interested in these things, shouts, “Seriously though! You’ve got so many confessions, but you’ve never accepted any of them. The blessed truly are ignorant.”

“You don’t even have a crush on somebody?” Shibayama asks, mouth agape in wonder.

Kenma also doesn’t know this. He keeps his eyes on his phone, pretending to play.

“Uh, yeah, I do.”

“Really?! Who? Who?” Lev pesters.

There’s a long pause, which is strange. The younger members should be pestering him to tell them, given how nosy they always are. But Kuroo isn’t saying anything either. Kenma’s about to look up to see what happened when Lev calls out, “Kenma-san!”

His heart jumps to his throat and he stares wildly at the first year. All eyes are on him now. Even Kuroo’s, whose ears are a light shade of red. Kenma doesn’t see him blush that often. For the first time in their years of friendship, Kenma actually wants to know who Kuroo has feelings for. Lev voices out that question for him. Rather, at him.

“No, I don’t know,” he replies, looking blankly at Lev, then at Kuroo, then back to his screen.

“Aw, I thought you would. Best friends tell each other those things, Kuroo-san!”

Huh. Kenma supposes that is what best friends do. A different kind of pang hits this time, but before he could start assessing it, the two latecomers arrive and Kai reminds everyone to stay together no matter how fast or slow they’re going to run. Before taking off, Kuroo turns to Motoya.

“You remember where to tally everyone’s time?” he asks. Motoya nods and gives him a thumbs up too. It makes Kuroo smile, wide and pleased. “Good girl! We’re off now. Start the timer.”

They’re around two blocks away from the school compound when Kenma realizes his ears are ringing. _Best friends tell each other those things, Kuroo-san! Good girl!_ repeats and repeats in Kenma’s head without permission. He would close his eyes to will them to go away, but they’re running.

Right, they’re running.

Kenma runs. And runs and runs and runs until he goes past the third years. Until he passes Inouka and Yamamoto having their own little race. Vaguely, Kenma registers his teammates calling to him from a distance, but he doesn’t stop.

Turning at the wrong street, Kenma finds himself off path. No sign of Nekoma anywhere. He lets out a sigh of relief and coughs in exhaustion as he slumps down on a wall of an alley. This little stunt will definitely draw attention to him when he gets back. Not ideal, but he just needs to breathe. He needs to be away from Kuroo.

Kuroo.

Kuroo could want any girl—could want anyone, really—and have their heart too. Just like he has Kenma’s in his palm.

He probably thinks Kenma isn’t the type of friend who’d care about girls and crushes. Or maybe he already tried telling Kenma before but he couldn’t get his attention away from a game. Kenma sighs. He’s terrible at this friendship shit. No wonder he has needed Kuroo all this time to make friends. Sure, Kenma made friends with Shouyo all on his own, but they wouldn’t have met if he didn’t play volleyball in the first place. Even after all that trouble for him, Kenma still hasn’t learned. _Kuroo probably doesn’t see me as his best friend. What chances would I have of being anything more than that?_

Kenma wraps his arms around his knees, contemplating when he should go back. What excuse he could say for doing something so out of character. It’s amazing he’s even thinking of going back to the team. Back to seeing Kuroo with Motoya.

It seems like the universe makes the decision for him, because Kuroo’s suddenly calling his name at the entrance of the alley, looking weary and distressed. He walks over.

“What the fuck was that, huh? I trust you’re old and smart enough to know how reckless that was. You could’ve gotten hurt.” His captain’s voice shifts from playfully exasperated to unbelievably gentle. “Kenma, why’d you run off?”

Kuroo actually sounds like he wants to understand what’s going on. Such good intentions. They make Kenma look away, “Just got too in my head. Like usual. Sorry… I was just about to go back.”

The attempt at glossing over the incident is not lost on Kuroo. His visible eyebrow quirks up; his expression unimpressed. They’ve known each other too long.

“I’m not lying, Kuro,” Kenma says firmly.

“Then, what’s up? Are you having a hard time with your classmates? The team? Is it that Math test you still haven’t studied for?” Kuroo stops, expecting Kenma to answer, but then adds to the barrage of questions, “Or maybe it’s about a game? Did you die too many times again?”

“Hmm, yeah. Because of that test.”

“Really?”

There’s that eyebrow again, but now it’s accompanied by the beginnings of a frown. How can you even lie to the person who’s been with you ever since you started learning how to lie better?

Sure he won’t be able to convince Kuroo otherwise, Kenma decides to just stand up and dust off his pants. He looks impassively at Kuroo, still seated on the pavement. “Are we going back or what?”

At that close of the conversation, Kuroo sighs and stands too. He leads them out of the alley and back to the school.

“You found me,” Kenma says mostly to himself, but Kuroo hears anyway. He doesn’t intend to continue speaking, but the words spill from his mouth, “Why do you always do that?”

Not a “how,” but a “why.” Kenma is asking for a reason, not a method. Kuroo looks puzzled by the question.

“Of course I'll always come to find you. I'm me,” comes his confident non-answer. Kuroo hooks an arm around Kenma's neck, making it harder to walk. Kuroo glances down at him, eyes looking serious. “Just don't go anywhere I can't reach.”

“That doesn't make any sense, Kuro,” Kenma replies, ducking his head. The answer sounds rather intimate, but he needs time to sit down to think about what it means.

Kuroo just grins lopsidedly, mischievous and wide. He loosens his hold around Kenma's neck but keeps his arm there, steering him unnecessarily back to school grounds. The body beside Kenma is warm, familiar, and safe. It takes everything in him not to rest his head on Kuroo's shoulder or to hold the hand dangling next to his face.

Their lunch is interrupted by a girl on a Thursday. She’s another second year Kenma doesn’t know, with nicely done braids and an adorable face, despite the nervousness written all over it. Kuroo gives Kenma a quick apology and leaves the table to talk to her privately. Well, that’s considerate of him. Finally.

But Kuroo comes back after 10 minutes or so, a card and a chocolate box so obviously shoved into his slacks. He resumes eating like nothing happened.

“Why aren’t you dating any of them?” Kenma repeats Lev’s question from weeks past.

Kuroo looks at Kenma curiously and it’s understandable. This might be the first time he’s ever shown interest in Kuroo’s love life. Shrugging, Kuroo says with a mouthful of rice and fish, “I can do that stuff in college when I have the time.”

“You’re not going to play volleyball in college? Or going pro?”

“Nah... Bokuto keeps telling me I could do it, but I really want to focus on studying. I’ll join an org though. I can’t see myself not playing volleyball at all.” Kenma can’t imagine it either. Volleyball gives Kuroo so much joy. He wouldn’t want him to give that up. So Kenma nods and thinks the conversation is over, but Kuroo continues, “Why’re you suddenly so interested? You never chime in about these kinds of things.”

“About your volleyball career?”

“About dating.”

Kenma’s the one shrugging this time. He takes his time chewing through another bite of yakisoba bread before answering as nonchalantly as he could, “Just bothered. You actually have some free time to date, you know. You just choose to waste it with me.”

“Yeah, I do _choose_ to. So, that’s that.” Kuroo says it so seriously that Kenma can’t fight the blush rising to his cheeks.

 _It means nothing. Don’t be stupid._ He bites and chews on his food again just to keep himself from smiling. The words repeat in his head, making his stomach flutter with delight. Butterfly wings brush against the knot. The feeling makes him hope. _Stop!_ He’s frowning now, which prompts Kuroo to ask if the bread doesn’t taste good.

“You can have some of mine. Here. Ahhh,” he says as he opens his own mouth, gesturing for Kenma to do the same. Kenma foolishly follows and watches as the chopsticks come closer to his mouth only to turn back to go into Kuroo’s instead. He pouts, heart thundering at the joke. Kuroo laughs boisterously. Kenma watches in horror as rice falls out of his mouth. _Why do I find_ this _attractive? I must have hit my head too many times._

Furious at feeling like a damn shoujo protagonist, he takes it out on Kuroo and glares at him throughout lunch, while his upperclassman continues to pick through his mackerel, oblivious to Kenma’s internal turmoil.

Afternoon practice has been ending later and later with the tournament coming up. It’s Tuesday and the team cleans up as best as they can with their sore muscles and shaky hands. Once dismissed, the others dash out of the club room, eager to go home for dinner. So Kenma finds himself changing from sweaty clothes to his fresh spare ones alone, waiting for Kuroo.

“Ah, there you are. Finish up.” Right on time, Kuroo appears in the doorway, already changed, with his bag slung on his shoulder. Kenma is about to tell him he’s finished when Motoya steps into the frame as well, coming from behind Kuroo. “Motoya’s commuting with us tonight. Wouldn’t want her to get home too late.”

“Oh. Yeah. I’m ready,” Kenma says, despite hurrying to shove everything into his bag.

Apparently, Motoya goes home in the same direction they do. With the ease and familiarity Kuroo has with Motoya’s commute route, it seems like they’ve been doing this whenever Kenma goes home ahead of Kuroo. That’s another thing guys do for girls they like or are dating, right? Making sure they get home safe. Getting an extra half hour to be with them. The thought makes Kenma mess up a combo and lose half of his hearts at the resulting attack.

“I’ve never read anything by Kawakami Hiromi, actually,” Motoya confesses softly.

“What! Really?” Kuroo exclaims, earning several dirty looks from the office workers around them. He offers more quietly now, but excitement still evident in his voice, “I have to lend you my copies.”

“Oh, thank you! Only if it isn’t a hassle.”

“Of course not. You have to lend me your copy of _The Great Passage_ , though.”

“Sure! I’ll bring it tomorrow.”

The two of them have been talking ever since they walked out of the school gates and the knot in Kenma’s stomach starts to tighten from guilt. Kuroo loves to talk. Unlike Kenma, his social battery drains very slowly. It isn’t hard to imagine that Kuroo must have been wanting someone to talk to on the way home, not someone whose eyes are glued to a handheld console or his phone, hardly responding when spoken to.

The train ride gives Kenma some more clarity: Kuroo and Motoya share a lot of interests and match each other’s personalities. Despite being more soft spoken than not, Motoya finds no problem dealing with Kuroo’s often teasing attitude. She even laughs at Kuroo’s corny chemistry jokes. He seems to be softer and livelier around her too.

The knot continues to constrict.

Motoya gets off first and wishes them a good night. Not without Kuroo apologizing for not being able to accompany her all the way home. Kenma finally dies in-game, pocketing his DS, and feels like he’s out of hearts too.

“Dead already?”

After hearing their whole exchange, Kenma now wishes Kuroo would stop asking him things just for the sake of asking. But he nods anyway. Kuroo hums and doesn’t make conversation during their walk home. Kenma now feels like the most boring person in the world.

As usual, they pass by Kenma’s house first. He barely looks at Kuroo when he turns to open their gate, feeling sick to his stomach. Kuroo still shouts for him to have a good dinner and to sleep early. The guilt in Kenma festers.

They have Friday afternoon practices off in case anyone has plans, but they still meet up in the club room to review their practice and upcoming match schedules. It’s been a week and a day since Kenma’s last freakout. It’s nothing a few mind numbing runs of his favorite games can’t fix. Or so he tells himself.

Motoya asks to talk to Kuroo in the corner after their meeting is adjourned. All the other members try their best not to gawk. They must know what’s coming next as well. _Why do it so publicly?_ Kenma wonders as he walks over to Fukunaga and Yamamoto, still copying important dates on their calendars.

Motoya’s voice isn’t as quiet as she probably hoped it to be. To no one’s surprise, she asks Kuroo out to eat at some cafe she’s always wanted to go to. The question makes Kenma involuntarily look up at his captain and manager, but Motoya is already locking eyes with the setter. Wide eyed, Kenma looks away as quickly as he can.

“Ah, the others can join too, of course!” Motoya hurriedly tries to say. “I’d like to get to know my fellow second years better.”

The three boys share a look of understanding. Tora sputters, trying to answer for the others, but Fukunaga takes the lead. “We wouldn’t want to intrude, Motoya. Let’s all go to an arcade next week, instead. That’s more our speed,” he offers gently.

“Oh, sure! That sounds good, Fukunaga! I’m looking forward to it.” Despite her obvious embarrassment at asking out an upperclassman, their captain, in front of her batchmates and failing to rope them in, Motoya’s smile at Fukunaga’s suggestion is genuine. She’s actually so nice, it hurts. Kenma can’t even bring himself to hate her to salve his own stupid feelings. _Kuroo deserves someone good like her._ He mentally gives himself a deadline to get over Kuroo—or at least to numb himself enough to stop thinking about how he feels towards his childhood friend—so that he can actually enjoy his time with her at the arcade.

The second years shuffle out of the room as quickly as they can before the awkwardness becomes too much. They’re walking beside the main school building when Tora groans.

“I should’ve made a move sooner,” he bemoans.

“How were you supposed to do that if you’ve never even talked to her?” Kenma says, face deadpan.

Fukunaga chuckles beside Kenma. “She gave him her number.”

“Yeah. For your information, Kenma, Motoya and I have been texting.”

“No way. Why?”

“What’d you mean ‘why,’ huh?” Tora lands a soft punch on Kenma’s arm. “Maybe she wants to be friends with me or something.”

“Maybe. Do _you_ have her number, Shohei?”

“No. I’ll ask for it next week, ooor next year.” He regards Kenma for a moment before continuing, “It’s cool. We’re not big on talking anyway, Kenma.”

“Hmm, guess so.”

They part ways a few blocks away from Nekoma High. Yamamoto and Fukunaga stay at the bus stop, while Kenma continues walking towards the train station. He’s about to fish out his PSP when he hears heavy footfalls running towards him. Kenma turns and sees Kuroo slowing down as he finally catches up to him.

“I thought I’d have to meet you at your house. You guys walk slow,” he snorts.

“Why are you here?” Kenma looks behind Kuroo’s massive shoulders. “Where’s Motoya?”

Kuroo pushes at Kenma’s shoulder to make him turn and start walking towards the station. Kenma is about to repeat the question when Kuroo finally answers, “I told her I can’t go out because we have plans.” They don’t. “I would’ve said yes to the group date though. But clearly, you guys had other ideas.”

“What? Why?” Kenma asks, his voice going high.

“We’ve talked about this already, Kenma.” His hazel eyes are shifty and ignores Kenma’s as he says this. “Let’s just go home, ‘kay? Dad texted me, said he’s bringing home some apple tarts.”

“You’re so dumb, Kuro.”

“Do you not want the tarts, Kenma-kun?”

“I can just ask for them from your dad.”

“No. You have to go through me, so be nice.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you definitely do.”

Kenma ends the back and forth there, lips curling into a tiny smile. He doesn’t miss the matching one on Kuroo’s face. For the first time in around a month, Kenma is finally feeling like things are gonna be okay between them.

They play Metal Gear at Kenma’s until Kuroo’s dad comes home and the other boy has to go to his house for dinner. After helping his parents out with the dishes and changing his clothes, he heads over to Kuroo’s. Kenma thanks Kuroo’s dad for the apple tart he offers him—but really, who are they kidding, he bought those mostly for Kenma and they all know it—and goes up the stairs. Wii in tow, they play a round of Mario Party. Kuroo gets 3 stars while Kenma shamefully finishes with only one. The older boy eggs Kenma on for another round, but the younger firmly refuses, afraid of a repeat of his terrible luck. They move to the bed, their heads next to each other’s feet. Copies of Weekly Shonen Jump are stacked by the headboard.

Kenma is about to reach for another one when Kuroo suddenly speaks, voice careful and quiet. “Kenma, what do you think of Motoya?”

Kenma’s eyebrows knit and he hopes Kuroo can’t see his face from this angle. This is it. This is when Kuroo will tell him about his crush. He postponed a date with Motoya though, so it could be a different girl. Whoever it is, Kenma is not ready to hear this, no matter how much the curiosity has been eating at him since this topic came up. For good measure, Kenma grabs another magazine and opens it over his face before answering. As soft spoken and neutral as ever, he says, “She learns quickly and is always willing to help out. I think she’s going to be a good manager.”

Kuroo hums. “Do you think she’s cute?”

“I guess.”

This exchange of question and answer doesn’t make any sense to Kenma. Why would his opinions on Kuroo’s crush matter? Truthfully, Kenma thinks Kuroo falls way too easily if he already developed a crush on a girl he’s only known for a month. But Kenma presses on, because friends are supposed to be supportive. That’s how they gain their friends’ trust so that they’ll finally get to the point and tell them about these things without beating around the bush.

“Her hair is really pretty and her laugh is cute.”

“Do you like her?”

Kenma drops the magazine on his chest just to stare incredulously at Kuroo—or what he could see of him, which is the top of his nose. “What?” he asks, confusion very evident in his voice.

Kuroo repeats the question and explains some more, “I always see you staring at her and stuff. Plus you’ve been acting weird since she joined. Suddenly you’re asking about dating and crushes. Motoya joining the club matches the timeline.”

The situation is so ridiculous, Kenma finally props himself up on his elbows just to gape at Kuroo. “What the hell?”

“What? It makes sense!” Kuroo mirrors his position. “I thought maybe you’d want to go out with her instead, which is why I rejected her earlier. Partly at least.”

“You _rejected_ her? You said you just said you aren’t free?” Kenma’s voice is getting high again. He wonders what he looks like to Kuroo.

“Okay, maybe I spared you some details,” Kuroo rolls his eyes as he says. “But yeah, I did. And I did it for you! You’re my best friend.” Kenma’s breath catches. He hopes Kuroo didn’t notice. “You deserve to be happy with a nice girl you like.”

“Are you dumb?!”

The words seem to reverb around the room, filling in the empty space of their silence. They lie still on the bed, wide eyed and shocked at Kenma shouting. He moves first. He swings his legs to the edge of the bed to sit up and presses the heels of his palms to his eyes.

“I don’t like her that way. If you do, you should’ve said yes.” Quiet and bitter, he says, “I don't need your pity.”

“Kenma, no! That’s not—Fuck!” Kuroo pushes himself up to sit next to him. He sounds as frustrated as Kenma feels. “I _don’t_ like her. That’s why I said you might having a crush on her was ‘partly’ why I rejected her.”

“What? What the fuck?”

But Kuroo isn’t done with the questions. “Why do you keep looking at her then?”

Laughter bursts out of Kenma’s throat, catching at the middle from the hot tears that are starting to squeeze out of his eyes. _This is it, huh._ The knot in his stomach squeezes so tightly he can’t stop himself from vomiting out the words. “I wasn’t looking at her, you fucking dumbass.”

There’s a pause. And then, Kuroo scoots closer and breathes out a quiet, “What?”

With nothing left to lose, except for his captain, his best friend, and his self-preservation, Kenma lifts his head to look at Kuroo straight on. The smile he gives him causes a few tears to roll down his cheeks. Almost inaudible, he repeats, “I wasn’t looking at her, Kuro.”

Kenma watches as Kuroo’s eyes lose focus as he stares at Kenma’s face. He can almost see the gears working in his head. Waiting for the inevitable is excruciating. But Kenma keeps watching.

Kuroo comes back to him after at least a minute of silence.

He cups Kenma’s face to wipe at the tears that keep coming. “Kenma.”

“I’m sorry. You weren’t supposed to know.” Kenma pulls at Kuroo’s wrists in vain. He turns away to shake him off as he keeps apologizing. Kuroo removes his hold only to capture Kenma’s hands in his. Squeezing and rubbing at the soft skin, Kuroo assures him he doesn’t have to apologize.

“You know,” he starts, his voice the gentlest Kenma has ever heard. “‘I’m sorry’ isn’t really what you want to hear after finding out the person you like likes you back.”

Kenma stares suspiciously at his best friend. Kuroo’s lips stretch into a smile, so far from his usual teasing grins. He kisses at Kenma’s knuckles before defending himself. “I’m not lying, Kenma. Have a little more faith in me, okay?”

“If you’re messing with me, I’m burning your hair off, okay?” Kenma threatens with a tiny sniffle.

Kuroo raises one of Kenma’s hands just to link their pinkies in front of their faces. Kenma nods at the gesture and pulls his hand away in embarrassment.

“What about Motoya? Won’t it get awkward during practice?”

“I don’t know. It might be awkward for a while, but I hope she likes the sport or the team enough to stay.”

“Hmm, it'd be good to have her as a manager for next year.”

“Yeah…"

The silence stretches for a while with the both of them just looking at their laps and idle feet. This silence isn't new. Nor is the comfortable lull between them. But Kenma definitely missed them. Everything seems to settle as he feels himself relax. His now-dry eyes grow heavy.

"Hey, do you wanna sleep over? You look really tired," Kuroo asks gently. He rubs at Kenma’s back, subtly guiding his body closer to his.

Cheek against Kuroo’s shoulder, Kenma nods again. He has a little bit of energy left just to tell Kuroo, “Your fault.”

“I’ll make up for it.”

Kuroo starts by guiding Kenma to lie down next to him on the bed, hugging him close. Kenma slides a hand along the arm Kuroo has looped around him, feeling firm muscles on the tips of his fingers. His eyes grow heavy from the warmth.

Kenma thinks it’s unfair. None of his games ever prepared him for the turmoil that comes with being in love with your childhood friend. But Kuroo’s hand continues tracing circles, stars, and random words on Kenma’s back to lull him to sleep. In the morning, he can wake up next to Kuroo, tell him outright that he likes him, and Kuroo will say it back. The constrictor knot in his stomach loosens as he gives in to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> kenma doesn’t seem like the kind of person who cries easily due to his emotions, so when he does, he’s really at his limit. i imagine that the situation i put him in must have been really frustrating. i’m sorry, kenma-kun (｡ŏ﹏ŏ)
> 
> this fic was sooo easy to write. it just flowed out of me so smoothly. i wish that’s the case for all fics heh. the first paragraph came to me immediately after i woke up for work lol
> 
> i imagine that things will go well for motoya and yamamoto so things between motoya, kuroo, and the team won’t be awkward for too long hahaha
> 
> i posted an [E rated](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29402073) kuroken fic for valentine’s too, if you’re into reading something nasty next!


End file.
